Heart Failure

What Increases Your Risk

Heart failure is generally the result of another disease, often coronary artery disease. Anything that increases your risk for developing that underlying disease is a risk factor for heart failure. This includes:

• Risk factors for coronary artery disease and heart attack.
• Risk factors for high blood pressure.
• Risk factors for heart valve disease.
• Risk factors for diabetes (because diabetes can increase the risk of coronary artery disease and also can cause a condition called diabetic cardiomyopathy).

A recent study suggests that people with rheumatoid arthritis have twice the risk of developing congestive heart failure as people without the condition.³

More information More on risk factors for heart failure

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Author:	Douglas Dana Robin Parks, MS	Last Updated: October 23, 2006
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
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